- Date
- August 8, 2009, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N54804Fairchild PT-19A
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090808015029A
- Case key
- 74480
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall during a high-density altitude takeoff.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airplane departed Runway 33 (6,000 feet by 60 feet, asphalt, with a slight upslope). Witnesses reported that the airplane "never got more than about 50 feet in the air". The airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest just beyond the departure end of the runway. Fuel was present at the site and the airplane's engine and right wing had been torn from the fuselage during the accident, resulting in substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident site stated that the airplane's wooden propeller was in "splinters" and that there "didn’t appear to be any control problems". The density altitude was calculated to be 9,590 feet. The pilot failed to submit the requested NTSB form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Accident/Incident Report.
Factual narrative
The airplane departed runway 33 (6,000 feet by 60 feet, asphalt, with a slight up-slope). Witnesses reported that the airplane "never got more than about 50 feet in the air". The airplane then impacted terrain and came to rest just beyond the departure end of the runway. Fuel was present at the site, the airplane's engine and right wing had been torn from the fuselage during the accident, resulting in substantial damage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, who responded to the accident site, stated that the airplane's wooden propeller was in "splinters" and that there "didn’t appear to be any control problems". The density altitude was calculated to be 9,590 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54804
- Reported as
- Fairchild PT-19A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6543AE
- Engine
- Fairchild 6-440 SERIES, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 00V · Colorado Springs, CO
- Destination
- 00V · Colorado Springs, CO
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 00V · Meadow Lake Airport, runway 33, 6,000 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 87
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 99 total · 99 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KCOS, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 173 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.